Sara Errani Is Suspended Two Months for a Doping Violation

Image

Sara Errani reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 5 in 2013 and is a five-time Grand Slam champion in doubles.CreditAdam Pretty/Getty Images

By The Associated Press

Aug. 7, 2017

Sara Errani, a former French Open finalist and top-10 player, must serve a two-month doping ban after testing positive for the banned substance letrozole in a test taken in February, the International Tennis Federation said Monday.

Errani blamed contamination from her mother’s breast cancer medication. Letrozole is used in the treatment of cancer.

“I never took, in my life and during my career, any prohibited substance,” Errani said in a statement. “I am extremely disappointed, but at the same time at peace with my conscience and aware I haven’t done anything wrong.”

An adjudication panel ruled that Errani’s fault was “at the lower end of the scale,” but that she should still be banned for two months from Aug. 3.

Errani’s mother, Fulvia, told the panel that she believed she accidentally dropped one of her tablets, which she kept in the kitchen, into some soup and tortellini she was preparing. Errani was staying with her parents at the time of her out-of-competition test.

Errani, a 29-year-old Italian, has also been retroactively disqualified from tournaments from Feb. 16 through June 7. Her only notable performance in that period was a semifinal in Rabat, Morocco, in May. She also lost in a second-round loss at the French Open during that time.

Errani’s ban will end on Oct. 2, precluding her from playing in the United States Open, which begins Aug. 28.

Errani reached the 2012 French Open final, losing to Maria Sharapova, and has completed a career grand slam in women’s doubles with Roberta Vinci.

Errani, now ranked 98th, has won nine singles titles and 25 doubles titles in her WTA career. She reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 5 in 2013.

She also helped Italy to three Fed Cup titles.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page B12 of the New York edition with the headline: Errani Gets 2-Month Ban for Doping Violation. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe